Arkansas toothpick

English

Noun

Arkansas toothpick (plural Arkansas toothpicks)

1. (informal) A Bowie knife.
   • 1999, Jon Sharpe, Chimney Rock Burial:

     Fargo came up with the Arkansas toothpick in his hand.

   • 2008, Henry Petroski, The Toothpick: Technology and Culture, page 192:

     Their weapon of choice would appear to be the Arkansas toothpick, the name given to a kind of Bowie knife.

   • 2010, Brooks Blevins, Arkansas/Arkansaw: How Bear Hunters, Hillbillies, and Good Ol' Boys Defined a State:

     It glimmered in the sheen of an Arkansas toothpick and glowered in the shadows of a violent and reckless place.